“Doomsday” burst on the UFC scene with four consecutive wins over
credible opposition, earning “Fight of the Night” and “Knockout of
the Night” honors in the process. It seemed almost certain that
Howard would soon find himself locking horns with some of the best
fighters the 170-pound division had to offer on a routine basis.
Then the situation took a turn for the worse.

A stoppage loss to the highly regarded Jake
Ellenberger came first, followed by decision defeats to onetime
title contender Thiago Alves
and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7 alumnus Matt Brown.
In less than a year, Howard went from being one of the UFC’s more
promising young welterweights to being released by the
promotion.

Even though Howard saw his dreams swept out from underneath him, he
never lost focus on his ultimate goal. Instead, he took all the
negativity surrounding him, learned from it and made himself a
better fighter. He knew someday he would be back in the
Octagon.

“When I got cut from the UFC, I wanted to immediately prove to
everybody that I shouldn’t have been [released],” Howard said in an
exclusive interview with Sherdog.com. “I wanted to show the world
that I was still a great fighter and that I belonged with the
best.

“I was also going through some very tough times,” he added. “My
grandmother had died, and it was very difficult on me because I was
so close with her. I had a hard time staying focused because that
was all I could think about, and that showed in my last
performances [in the UFC]. I’ve gotten past that now and I’ve
become a more dedicated, more driven fighter.”

Howard took inventory, which meant returning to smaller shows on
the regional mixed martial arts circuit. He went 6-1 with five
knockouts, capturing the CES MMA middleweight championship, his
efforts drawing the attention of the UFC. All he needed was an
opening and an opponent for
UFC Fight Night 26 at the TD Garden in Boston.

“

I tell people that I
don’t fight to win or
lose. I fight to fight.

”

-- John Howard, UFC
middleweight

“I called [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva up and asked to come back to
the UFC,” Howard said. “I told him that I had been winning and just
had a great knockout and [asked] what would it take for them to put
me on the Boston card. He told me, ‘Listen, the card is stacked and
there’s nothing we can do right now, but do me a favor and stay
ready.’ I told him I would and kept busy.”

“Uriah is a known fighter,” said Howard, who on Saturday will
tangle with Team Tiger Schulmann export. “He made it all the way to
[‘The Ultimate Fighter’ final], so he’s a capable fighter. It’s a
great matchup, too, because we are both strikers who like to bang
and go for the knockout. It’s going to be two warriors going at
it.”

Win or lose in the middleweight showcase, Howard believes he has
developed into a much better fighter since he first appeared in the
UFC. He adheres to a stricter diet, has fewer distractions and
eagerly awaits his second chance to shine on his sport’s biggest
stage.

“I come to fight,” Howard said. “I stand and bang, I’ll take you to
the ground [and] I try to knock you out. That’s what I do. I am not
the type of fighter who will take a guy down and just hold him
there to make sure I win. I’ve never done that, and I never will. I
want to go out there and fight, and if my opponent wants to fight
just as hard, then even better.

“I tell people that I don’t fight to win or lose,” he added. “I
fight to fight.”

Howard relishes the chance to compete in front of his hometown
fans. He plans to enter the cage focused and relaxed.

“Even though I’m fighting in my hometown, the pressure is not on
me, not at all,” Howard said. “The pressure is all on Hall. He’s
the bigger fighter, the more popular fighter, and he’s taking on a
late replacement. I believe I have more skill than him and I have
more experience, so it’s a dangerous fight for him.

“All I want to do is fight in Boston,” he added. “If I lose, so be
it. I am fighting in the Boston Garden; I know it’s the TD Garden
now, but I’ll always call it the Boston Garden and I’ve always
wanted to fight there. I’m going balls out to bang, like I always
do.”